Category: Salvation

Love died on a cross


God sent His Son to be the Lamb that takes the sins of the world on Himself. He did die on the cross but He rose from the dead three days later conquering death and the grave. Jesus is the embodiment of God’s love for humanity because He showed the effect of God’s love on everyone He ministered to during His three years of teaching. 

So, why do we think we can’t be useful to the One Who called us to follow Him? If you have given your heart to Him and you are a born-again Christian, you were called by the Holy Spirit into His family. Your position in life or your lack of work to Him. You can be useful in His Kingdom in whatever way He has gifted you with abilities to do. Having money or a position or education doesn’t matter to Him because He equips those whom He calls. We are given gifts and abilities that only we have a real ability to use for Him.

When I titled this as “Love died on a cross”, I didn’t mean that God’s love died on that cross. I meant that the personification of His Love died on the cross. God loves us in such a way that we can’t understand it and His anger toward the people who reject Him is equally powerful but it is still tempered by His love. God can uniquely use each of us to reach people that others may not be able to reach.

God’s love is such that even if we only reach that one person, it is enough. God values each of us to the extent that your soul and mine would’ve been enough to send Jesus to Earth to die for us and save us. Even if we were the only two that were saved. It is very hard to understand compassion and love like that, in fact, we can’t understand it on this side of Heaven.

Like the story that Jesus told of the pearl that the merchant sold everything for just to acquire, a pearl of great price. Each of us is like that pearl to God our Father. We are each worth His Son’s life to gain souls and a place in Heaven. The biggest mistake that the early church made nearly two thousand years ago was using “man-made” wisdom or ideas to bring pagans into the church. Even two centuries past His crucifixion the church didn’t resemble the gatherings of believers that began the church in the late first century.

The divisions that have happened over the centuries since then show even more how easily Satan has gained a foothold in the church. There is a remnant of believers who embody the teachings of Jesus as much as possible today but it seems to be getting smaller. I pray that there will be a revival of faith in the church before He comes back. It is sorely needed today.

Are you stuck in a rut?


Many of us get into a rut in life. We think that we can’t change…even that we will never be able to change, but that is not what God says. When you give your heart to Jesus and become a Christian the Holy Spirit comes in and changes your heart and you are made into a new creation in Christ. You are not the old person. You are not the person that you were before Jesus came into your life. If you meant it when you felt His touch and chose to give your heart to Him, repenting of your old ways of life, then you are a new creation…a new person in Christ.

There will be some days that Satan will try to make you believe that you are the same person that you were but you are not! Yes, the devil will try to trip you up and make you stumble back into old habits and sometimes he will succeed but Jesus is there with you and you can rise up into a new life with Him. It doesn’t matter how many times you fall, as long as you don’t stay down and believe the lies that Satan is telling you through your family or “friends”. God is stronger and able to bring your life into a better place than where it was.

Keep your eyes and your heart pointed toward Jesus and follow His example. You can’t be as perfectly holy as He was but you can strive toward that goal with the Holy Spirit’s help one step at a time. One day at a time. Thank God for today and move into it with confidence knowing that God loves you and that He will be with you regardless of what you hear around you from family or so-called “friends”. You don’t have to stay stuck in that rut of depression and despair. Take Jesus’ hand and get up and walk with Him into your new life every day and your way will become more sure and real than you ever thought possible.

Amen

Are you sure?


My reason for this title stems from the order that Jesus gave to His disciples. He said for them to “take the gospel out into the whole world“. So, have you given your heart to Jesus? Do you know Him as your Savior? Are you sure?

Many people seem to think they are Christians just because they have attended church for their whole life or because of their family history in the church. Neither of these brings salvation to anyone. Only deep belief, acceptance of salvation, and repentance from your sins will bring you to complete sanctification. Living your days and the rest of your life by learning about Jesus and studying His Words will truly mature your faith and give you the armor of God to keep you protected from Satan and his temptations in your life. Just because you become a Christian doesn’t make your life easier and it doesn’t make you immune from temptation. God’s Presence in your life gives you the strength to persevere every day.

I pray that each person who reads this post, even though it is short, will renew their faith in Jesus or even invite Him into their hearts. We are living in the end times and we are at the edge of the Tribulation. Please seek Him out as your Savior if you haven’t yet.

Nearly 47 years ago…


This message was given by Dr. Graham on New Year’s Eve in 1975. He talks of tomorrow’s football game being one of the biggest parts of everyone’s day on January 1, 1976. He also speaks of wars, possible nuclear war, drug use, poverty, and confusion. It is amazing and frightening to me that almost 47 years ago we were dealing with many of the same problems that we have today. Although, today’s problems are worse than they were then. In 1976 we were still more of a Christian nation than we are now. Much of the country still had “blue laws” on the books that closed many businesses on Sunday which is unheard of today. Television was not as focused on drugs for all sorts of diseases and the news actually reported real news rather than five and ten seconds worth of blurbs between drug commercials.

Much has changed in the last fifty years and none of it is for the betterment of our country. Some things are better but there are so many that are much, much worse until they outweigh the good things that have been done. If you look back at some sermons from preachers from fifty or one hundred years ago, the problems of society have not really changed all that much. The bad kids in school sixty years ago were putting gum under their desks or in girls’ hair. Now they are bringing guns and knives and drugs to school and the school can’t do much about it. I ask you to join me in praying for our country’s soul and that those who profess to be Christians will turn and become the disciples of Christ that they say they are.

Another day…


God has seen me through another year. It happened so fast it’s hard to believe it. There are so many things happening during this time that it is hard to know where to begin. First and foremost, God loves every one of us! He provides for us every day yet many people choose to concentrate on the things that are not going according to their plans. You need to remember that it is His plan that is important and it is His plan that will triumph in the end. I know there are many who do not see Him in the bad news all around us but He is in control regardless of how bad it looks.

With my allergies kicking up these past few days I don’t really feel like celebrating my birthday but I’m thankful that it isn’t covid or the flu. Life does have a way of showing us exactly Who is in charge whether we want to believe it or not. God is keeping His children, Israel, safe and secure and He is looking for all who will follow Jesus until that day comes when the trumpet sounds and we are caught up to be with Him.

Will life get harder one day? Yes, it will, but God is still in control. Our world seems to be so confused about almost everything these days. From which bathroom to use to the number of so-called “genders”. God created only two. Male and female. So regardless of the confusion all around, His plan has worked from the beginning until now. Is there confusion? Yes, even in the animal kingdom but God’s design has worked for many thousands of years and it will continue to do so.

How many days do you have? None of us know the answer to this. Some may have many days and some of us may not lie down to sleep tonight. The time to make sure of your salvation and your eternal home should do so today because we don’t know how many hours we may have left to us. God knows your life and He knows how many days you have left. Don’t squander them and don’t turn away from the Holy Spirit when He bids you to accept Jesus as your Savior. Because, just as the rich man who wanted to build larger barns to lay up his produce for his enjoyment, you do not know if your soul may be required of you tonight.

If you are reading this today, thank God for the day and the ability to learn about the salvation that is only found in Jesus Christ. Make sure of your eternal home now because if you do not, it may be in a place that is far from God.

Selfish…


How many of us feel this way? There are many I would suppose, although I suspect there are many who will not own it. Being selfish is a common theme in the Bible although it is characterized by pride more often than not. Pride in yourself and your accomplishments can also show itself as “selfish”. But aren’t we supposed to be proud of ourselves sometimes? Yes, but not exclusively so. This word is also associated with self-love or narcissism.

Why am I writing about this? Because being selfish seems to be one of the problems that many people in the Bible have. They want their way. They want to be in charge. They want to be like God.

Do you know anyone who fits that description? The only “person” that I know of that fits this exact description is Satan, but there are some people who act this way as well. God loves people and He gives us the opportunity to be saved from eternal separation from Him.

We have the opportunity to follow Jesus and be His follower for the rest of our life. Don’t turn away from the call of the Holy Spirit in your life. Don’t push Him away because He loves you. Your eternity with Him is the reward, seek Him.

Faith comes by hearing the Word preached


“Our Father…”


“Our Father”. Do you truly comprehend the significance of those words? God is, collectively, our Father since He is the Creator. But…have those two words ever sunk into your consciousness enough to truly register their meaning? Consider this: Adam was God’s son and the father of humanity, and Jesus is God’s Son and our Savior but He told His disciples to pray to God as their Father too.

Why? Because we become adopted sons and daughters in God’s family when we accept Jesus as our Savior. We have His blood covering our sins. We are God’s children. So when you pray to God, Our Father, you are literally praying to the only Person in the universe that loves you as much as He loves Jesus.

Let that sink in for a minute.

You are loved by God! So much that He gave His Son to pay the penalty for your sins. Jesus died and rose again to be your Savior and to pay the penalty for every person on Earth. It is your responsibility to accept this gift through faith in Him and live your life to attain your maturity in Christ. Walking with Him every day, not just on holidays and on Sunday mornings. It takes discipline to wake up and tell Him “Thank you for today”. It takes perseverance to read and study His Word for thirty minutes every day. It takes prayer, asking Him to give you His wisdom from His Word, and the understanding to know how to apply it.

The life of a Christian or a saint, as they are referred to by Paul, is not an easy one. The devil is going to target you so he can trip you up and cause your witness to be stained in some way so that others won’t follow you to be more like Jesus. The only way for any of us to stand on those days of trial is to study and apply the wisdom that we gain from God’s Word. We won’t know it or be able to apply it if we don’t read it…daily.

We are living in the last days of the age of Grace. Don’t turn away from the call of God in your life. Seek Him out in the Bible. Learn about Him and His nature. Follow Him every day and keep His Word in your mind and your heart for your own protection and for your salvation too.

Do you have a relationship?


It is also the only relationship that can give you a place in eternity with Him.

Can you reach them?


There are many people searching for meaning today. They want meaning and a purpose in their lives but don’t know where to find it. Can you reach them with an answer? Some of them are just kids, teenagers really, that have no idea where they are going. They are following the trends on social media and some are going in the wrong direction. Can you help them find their way? You would think that their parents could help them but most parents today seem to be just as lost as their children are. Even some who seem to have everything together on the outside are still searching and trying to find their reason for living. Why has this happened?

If you go back far enough you can find the answer to what happened, not only in our country but in the world itself. Some people think it happened when JFK was killed or when the Korean War was over, which has never actually happened yet. The 20th century had many points that you could call and even label as “life-changing” or even cultural changing. But the most dramatic change came after the decision to remove the Bible from our education system and then remove prayer from schools altogether.

Why do I call this point the most dramatic change point in the 20th century? Because it took the standard away. For most of the history of America, the Bible has set the standard of how to conduct yourself in life. It was studied in school for many years and before public schools were common, parents taught their children from the Bible as the primary textbook for reading. While it is true there have been many people in our past that didn’t like some of the moral teachings found in it, the Bible was still the book that our founders used as a guide for many of the laws and statutes. 

Without a moral standard, our country has slipped into anarchy and chaotic behavior in many areas. The most telling of which is sports and family values. There are few values left in our society because everyone seems to want to use their ideas for their standard. You hear many people saying “You have your truth and I have mine”. The problem here is that truth is found only in God’s Word. When we begin to make decisions based on our version of truth or to live our lives based on our idea of truth and justice, we’ve thrown God’s Word out and replaced it with our ideas of morality, justice and fairness and that makes us our own “god”. Think about this for a minute and remember some of the political speeches and newscasts in the past couple of years.

God’s prophecy of the end of the age tells of this time when people will make their own laws and forget God’s Law. They will be “lovers of self and idolators”. In 2 Timothy 3, it says this and more: 1 But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without the love of good, 4 traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having a form of godliness but denying its power.

I pray that anyone who reads this will seek out Jesus Christ as their Savior and give their heart to Him, then live the rest of their life as a follower of Him. When the day comes when the Trumpet sounds, you will be called to be with Him forever.